Device: Lumia 640
OS: Windows 10
App: Opera Mini
Data: 3-27-16
I haven't done app reviews as of yet so this might be a bit of a shaky one. Starting off let me say I've recently received a window 10 phone and started to really enjoy the overall interface. There's an issue though I came across when surfing the internet, saving images and mp3's just wasn't happening. So after a few attempts, I decided time to check out what other browsers the Windows Store had available. Lo and behold I came across Opera Mini.
Light weight, quick, compact, saves data when not on wifi (at varying levels you can choose between). And best of all, actually did what I wanted and downloaded MP3 and Images on a simple hold click.
Score: 5/5
2/12/16
Roku Streaming Stick without remote? Here's a solution!
Requirements: Smartphone (with data) and an extra android/iphone device.
So I just bought myself a Roku Streaming Stick. It arrived one day before I was set to leave for a friends house, so it didn't give me much time to do much with it besides set it up and get a few channels in. When the day came for me to leave, I grabbed my new toy and set off to my friends place, that is when disaster stuck! I had forgotten the remote! What was I to do?!
As it turns out, Roku has released an app that lets you control your Roku device directly fro your smart phone (iPhone 6 in my case). Drawback? The phone and Roku stick MUST be on the same wifi network for that to work. Foiled! I needed to change the wifi information before this could work.
I had my laptop with me, so at first I tried plugging the USB used to power the device into my laptop to give that a whirl and see if I could input my friends wifi information from my laptop. The answer? Nope. There's no way to do that. I even spoke to tech support. Their only reply was a physical remote is needed to update the Roku's wifi settings.
I looked up online and apparently some universal remotes can do the trick. My friend didn't have any such universal remotes. While there are plenty of apps that claims to act as a universal remote, I found another way to fix this with my iphone.
The Roku will attempt to automatically connect whenever it sees a network with your network name, entering the password. Luckily for me, I actually remember my WEP key and WIFI name. (It was also saved under wifi connections in my laptop.) So I set my iPhone's personal hotspot to be identical to my home wifi network. You could also plug your computer by ethernet into the wireless modem and change their wifi network and password to match your home networks, but I found this a lot less invasive.
I then unplugged and reuplugged in my Roku Streaming Stick, downloaded the Roku remote app onto my tablet (android) and connected my tablet to my Roku Streaming Stick through my iPhones hotspot.
Of course this wasnt over. Watching anything on your phone's data is going to be PAINFUL on your data plan, and can be quite costly. Instead, use the Roku App on your android device, navigate to Settings > Change Wifi > Wifi Network, and add your new locations wifi network. Bewarned, if you type out the password incorrectly or forget to be CASE SENSITIVE, you're stuck! Once done, turn off your hotspot and continue navigating over your new locations wifi!
Important thing to note, Roku can only have one locations wifi information saved at a time. You will need to do this method again when getting home, if your remote was somehow lost, or buy a new remote
Unfortunately this method assumed you're taking your streaming stick to a friends place or hotel, and already have the previous network name and password. I will be exploring universal remotes and universal remote apps to see if I can find a method of adding a new wifi address to a roku when the previous information is lost or unknown.
Hope that helps someone out in the future, and any questions, dont be shy to ask.
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